York bridges past and present in Sunday celebration

YORK, Maine — With other members of the York Cub Scout Pack 301 standing nearby, Tyler Frederick curiously reached out to touch the M116 75mm Howitzer, an artillery gun and carriage piece that was created in the 1920s to cross difficult terrain, which now sits in front of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6977 in York.

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By Samantha Stephens

seacoastonline.com

By Samantha Stephens

Posted Nov. 12, 2012 at 2:00 AM

By Samantha Stephens

Posted Nov. 12, 2012 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

YORK, Maine — With other members of the York Cub Scout Pack 301 standing nearby, Tyler Frederick curiously reached out to touch the M116 75mm Howitzer, an artillery gun and carriage piece that was created in the 1920s to cross difficult terrain, which now sits in front of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6977 in York.

Rusty Wicker, a York resident and a member of the VFW who served in the Air Force from 1966 to 1970, noticed Frederick's curiosity and approached him. Explaining that the gun can shoot approximately 2 miles, he asked Frederick where he lives.

"Do you live 2 miles from here?" Wicker asked with a smile stretched across his face. "We can aim it to land on your kitchen counter."

Wicker's joke resonated with the young boy, who turned to his fellow Scouts and began laughing.

The candid moment between the veteran and the Scout put into action the reason for the brief pause of reflection to honor soldiers past and present on Veterans Day.

"It's important that we educate them what Veterans Day is. It's not just a holiday and a day off from school. It's an observance of those who served, are still serving and those who died in service. It's so easy to lose the context," Wicker said.

Wicker added that this Veterans Day is the first in which there are no living World War I veterans.

"Our World War II veterans are passing away and our Vietnam veterans are getting older," Wicker said. "When we lose them, we lose the history they had in their minds. It's important to keep that alive. It's important we keep this country free and as a democracy."

Al Moulton, a York resident and Army veteran who served from 1945 to 1947 and who is also a member of the local VFW, said that America is one of the most free nations in the world and he hopes it can stay that way.

For Glenn Blanchette, a resident of Somersworth, N.H., who served in the Navy and had attachment to the Marine Corps from 1967 to 1992, said the response people have these days to welcoming home veterans and respecting their service is a long way from the "welcome" he received when he returned from the Vietnam War.

"When I came home from Vietnam, people threw rotten apples and rotten tomatoes at us. Today, people are greeting soldiers at the airport and shaking their hands," Blanchette said. "They're taking pride in the military and it means a lot."

Max Ernenwein, a member of Cub Scout Pack 301, said Veterans Day is "for the people who died in war and served in war for freedom so we get to do what we want."

His brother, Noah, added that the sacrifice of past and present veterans is what makes America a place where "we can be whatever we want to be."

Kelly McNamara, whose son Cavin McNamara is a member of the Cub Scouts, said it is very important for her son to understand the history behind the observance holiday.

"It's important that kids see the sacrifice men and women made for this country," she said.